RESEARCH: Andrew Goodwin - Structure of Music Videos

Summary of Goodwin’s Theory

Andrew Goodwin feels that the traditional narrative analyses don’t really apply to pop videos. Here are a few reasons why:

·         The video is built around the song

·         The artist is narrator as well as the character

·         Artist often looks into the camera to engage the audience

·         The video has closure – climax created which then fades into an end

Repetition has a huge role in music videos. The pictures that are repeated within the music video is similar to the way there is repetition of the chorus or any other line. Also, intertextuality means that we have certain expectations that have been established with other music videos within a genre.

Pop videos are often recognisable due to certain aspects featured in them. Michael Jackson was known for his yelps and twirls in his videos. Another feature is that women are often presented as objects of male desire. Artists such as Beyonce deliberately play up to this to grab the attention of males however they directly look at the camera which in turn ceases them from being passive.

Videos also try and reach out to a wider audience as well as attracting their core target audience. Older bands would often show them when they were younger so the older target audience can relate.

Some videos from songs written for movies often incorporate scenes from the movie within the music video to show the link between the two. For example, Celine Dion – My Heart Will Go On from Titanic.

Structure

There are three types of relations between songs and videos; Illustration, amplification and disjuncture.

Illustration:
This is where the video tells the story of the lyric. For example, in Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars you can see him draw out certain lyrics he sings.

Amplification:
This is when the video introduces new meanings that do not contradict with the lyrics but add layers of meaning. An example of this would be in Disturbia by Rihanna. The lyrics to this song is quite dark and so is amplified through the jerky camera movements and the darkness of the video itself.



Disjuncture:
This is when there is little or no connection between the lyrics and the video or where the video contradicts the lyrics. An example of this would be in How Many Drinks by Miguel featuring Kendrick Lamar. In this video, all you see is both the artists performing on the stage which has no connection to the lyrics being sung.